A Villain's Compassion
by SapphireGirl93
Summary: Pre-movie. Megamind arrives at Roxanne's apartment full of wicked schemes, but finds that his favorite victim has had a monumentally bad day and isn't feeling up to playing the bait in his favorite game. Can Metro City's most notorious villain find it in his black heart to show his captive a little compassion?
1. Chapter 1

**Before you start to read, I just want to say that this story is rather near and dear to my heart. In fact, it's **_**so**_** personal I almost didn't publish it, but my very dear friend Hunger4Righteousness talked me into it.**

**I must admit that it's really not the happiest fic I've ever written, but I did my best to give it a happy ending… I hate the thought of leaving my friends with a frown at the conclusion of a story. **

**Because it wasn't originally in the plan to publish this, the whole story was written as a one shot. But plans change, so I found a place to divide it up and split it into two chapters to make it easier on you. If at all possible, please try to read both chapters together, that's how it was intended, and flows better that way.**

**Thanks guys!**

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Roxanne sighed as she stepped into her apartment and locked the door behind her. She hadn't had a day this awful in longer than she could remember, and she was immensely relieved to finally be at home. A little peace, quiet, and solitude was just the ticket to ease the tension of her day.

She slowly walked to her dining table to set down her purse and her laptop, and then went straight to her kitchen to make a cup of tea to relax with. Just imagining herself curling up on her couch with a blanket, losing herself in a good movie was enough to begin to take the edge off. Nothing was going to pull her away from some time for herself... unless _he_ showed up. _Oh God, please not tonight! _

As she waited for the water to boil, she leaned on the edge of the counter, allowing her eyes to become unfocused as she stared at the blue flame of her gas stove, mulling over in her mind the series of misfortunes that had amounted to her day.

From the moment she had opened her eyes things just hadn't gone right. She had slept in, accidentally turning her alarm off when it sounded the first time rather than hitting snooze, and waking a mere half hour before she was supposed to be sitting at her desk, hard at work. What a day to sleep in too; she had an important interview with the Chief of Police scheduled for that morning.

In the process of rushing to get ready, she couldn't find_ anything_. Her hairbrush seemed to have disappeared into the ether, and in the end she had to use an old comb that just didn't do the job right. Even her toothbrush was on the list of lost items, having fallen from the bathroom counter and skittered under the edge by the baseboards the previous night.

Just when she about to give up the search and stop in to grab one at the nearest convenience store on the way to work, she noticed the tip of it peeking out from under the cabinets. Thank goodness she'd found it, but time was so short, she'd have to do her brushing on her way to work.

She had luckily set her clothes out the night before so she would be prepared, a habit she had cultivated to make her mornings as stress-free as possible, but oddly enough she had forgotten about her shoes. Upon going to grab them from her closet she was horrified to discover that one of them was missing, and the pair she was looking for went perfectly with the tailored jacket and sassy pencil skirt she was wearing that day.

After a quick and frantic search and with no time to change, she gave up on the perfect pair and had to settle for shoes that were not the best choice for the discerning journalist, a complete fashion disaster. Oh well, no one could see her feet when she was on camera anyway, so she hoped it wouldn't really matter.

Getting ready and heading out the door in record time considering all her hold-ups, she began the relatively short commute to work with the hope that she might get lucky enough to make it there _almost_ on time. That would save her from a very embarrassing and unprofessional entrance; coming in late and unprepared when the chief was scheduled to arrive early to begin the interview was not the best career move.

Being the head of the police department in a city that was continuously besieged by a famous and very industrious super villain, he had very little time to spare for interviews to begin with and the fact that she had been able to snatch it up was close to a miracle. Channel 8 was lucky to have landed the chance to interview him at all.

Her hopes for a timely arrival were dashed when she was caught in the worst traffic jam she had seen in years due to a massive fender bender that happened to tie up one of the main arteries for traffic in the city. Being stuck in the center lane with cars surrounding her on all sides, she was in it for the long haul with no choice but to wait it out until the mess was cleared.

Rooting through her purse to find her phone and at least give her boss a heads-up call to let him know what was going on, she discovered that in her frantic rush to get out the door she had neglected to grab her phone. _Great_.

When traffic had finally been directed around the accident and she made it to work 45 minutes late, she walked in to discover that due to the chief's tight schedule, her pre-arranged interview had been given to Karen Crosby and was currently under way without her._ Yeah, juuuust perfect!_

Karen had never been what Roxanne could call a friend on a good day; a tense feeling of competition exuded from her co-worker at every turn, and on a bad day it wasn't uncommon to find the random acerbic remark being shot in her direction. Although she was _more_ than capable of using her quick wit that she had honed to perfection during her rounds of banter with Megamind to shut the rival reporter up in a split second, she had chosen to take the high road, and refused to engage.

Roxanne had decided long ago to let Karen's problem remain Karen's problem. She had much more important things on her mind than petty rivalries with her co-workers, being kidnapped and used as bi-weekly bait in the struggle between good and evil being at the top of the list.

Now that her interview had been taken from her and given to the competitive journalist, she suspected that there would be no living with her; the other woman's attitude had now been given a boost of pride and was likely to increase ten fold. As it turned out, Roxanne had been right, the remainder of the day had been a series of smugly superior glances and quick, sarcastic shots. Just what she needed.

She was momentarily pulled from her thought process by the rumble and tick of the tea pot as the water worked itself up to a boil. She snapped off the burner before the whistle was able to sound and grabbed her cup, pouring the water distractedly. Why was it that the days that had to be filled from sunrise to sunset with struggles were the days that she felt the most unprepared to deal with them?

Any other time, she would be able to take it all in stride despite the fact that everything about this day just plain _sucked_. She was a strong and independent girl and knew how to let these things just roll off her shoulders, but today was different. She had been dreading this day for a long time, knowing it would be difficult for her.

Carrying her cup to the couch and settling in, her stomach clenched and her chest felt tight as she thought about how nice it would be to have someone to talk to about these things, someone to share her feelings with. Normally she would call her mother, but...

Just at that moment, a loud commotion arose from her balcony, startling her and interrupting her train of thought. As she strained her ears and waited for her heartbeat to slow to a normal level she listened for the second time to a loud thunk, followed by the sound of metal scraping against masonry. What could possibly be making a noise like that eight stories off the ground? Wait a minute... _Oh, no. No, no, no... not tonight!_

As her silent protests resounded in her brain, she watched as the knob of her balcony door jiggled at the hands of her visitor. Seconds later the repetitive clicking of the knob was followed by the quiet snick of the lock as it was released, and the door flew open dramatically to reveal the man she was expecting, but had been hoping_ not _to see. He was followed closely by his fishy henchman who was excitedly shaking the can of knock out spray, ready to get the show on the road.

"_Miss_ Ritchi," Megamind crooned melodiously, a self-satisfied grin on his blue face as he waved his hands dramatically in the air to accentuate his intimidating speech, "prepare yourself for a journey into terror. I have something special planned for you tonight, a jaunt into the wild and unknown world of... "

"What was that?" Roxanne interrupted sharply.

Megamind stopped and looked at her with mild confusion. "What?"

"That scraping sound, what was that? You didn't mess up my balcony, did you?"

"Oh... well even if I did, a few gouges in your balcony would be a necessary casualty in the advancement of my e-vil empire... no matter how deep they are."

At the suspiciously foreboding sound of his answer, she leapt up and rushed past him to the glass door. Leaning on the frame, she looked outside to find the hover bike balanced precariously on the wide brick railing and three very deep and ugly looking gouges torn from the masonry directly behind it, with shattered pieces of brick and crumbled mortar still tumbling to the balcony floor in piles.

She knew how difficult it could be to land the bike in such a cramped space and had several times seen both Megamind and Minion make an attempt at a touch down, only to have to lift off and approach again at a safer angle. But the horrific damage to her balcony... that was a first.

_Fantastic! My landlord is going to loooove me when he sees this! _

Roxanne squeezed her eyes tightly shut, breathing deeply to try and keep her composure. After her first rate bad day, not to mention having inherited her mother's fiery personality, her first thought upon seeing the devastated masonry was to wonder what moderately heavy items she could snatch up within immediate reach that she could wing at the villain. But she had been challenging herself to work on maintaining her temper and had made great strides in that area, despite her incessantly annoying run-ins with her personal captor, and she was determined not to let him take from her all the progress she had made in that department.

Megamind and Minion watched her as she stood propped against the door frame with her head down and her eyes shut, silently and methodically breathing in and out. Her delicate hands were balled up and clenched tightly, and Megamind thought for a moment that now would not be a good time to get too close to her; those feminine fists looked as though they could go flying and clock someone at any second.

The blue scoundrel turned a questioning eye toward his sidekick, who was looking at their favorite captive with concern. A flick of the brown eyes toward his boss and a shrug of his robotic shoulders told Megamind he had no more clue as to her strange behavior than his master did.

"Miss Ritchi, I'm sorry about the balcony, I... "

"_Minion! _Villains_ never _apologize! You know that; it isn't as if it's your first day of being e-vil."

"Oh, right! Sorry, Sir."

Looking at his friend for a moment longer with exasperation, Megamind rolled his eyes, and then turned to Roxanne with a sigh.

"You're acting strange... what's going on?"

At his presumptuous question she rounded on him, her face a picture of fury, and she snapped, "Oh, hmmm… so it's_ strange _that I'm upset that you just trashed my balcony and now I'm going to have to pay through the nose to have it repaired? Well then let me see, does that mean it's also strange that I feel like _smacking_ the guy who just trashed my balcony but refuses to even say he's _sorry_?"

When they heard this, Minion gasped and his mechanical hands flew to his dome as he gaped at her, his mouth hanging open in consternation. This just didn't sound like the Miss Ritchi he knew.

Megamind looked at her with wide eyes, utterly shocked at this rare outburst. Yes, he knew full well that she had a temper to be reckoned with, and yes, he had seen that temper before and regretted it, but he also knew that she was a beacon of restraint and self control, and kind-hearted besides. Her irritation was typically displayed in her witty and intelligent remarks that, he hated to admit, often had him stammering to find an acceptable comeback... much to his annoyance.

Observing their reaction to her momentary emotional outburst, she immediately felt guilty. As frustrated as she was with them about the damage and as much as she did_ not _want to go through another kidnapping at the moment, they didn't deserve the brunt of her anger; it wasn't their fault she'd had such a rotten day. With a sigh she allowed her livid expression to drain away, and she turned and walked back to her couch. Sinking down slowly and sitting with her back partially turned toward them, she stared hard at a knot in the hardwood of the floor in front of her, her hands clasped in her lap.

"Look, I don't think I can do this today. Can't you just come back another time? Tomorrow maybe?"

"Miss Ritchi, e-vil waits for no one." Megamind answered, but rather than responding with his usual bravado, his voice was more gentle and laced with concern.

When she failed to respond to his meager attempt at banter, he knew there was something wrong, seriously wrong. He moved forward across the room just enough to peer at her profile as she attempted to keep her back turned toward him, and saw a deep frown as her gaze switched from that spot on the floor to her hands as they fidgeted in her lap. Watching her with knitted brows, he thought he saw her chin tremble, just a trifle.

"Minion?" he called without looking away from the reporter.

"Yes, Sir?" answered the spacefish brightly, ready to jump at a moment's notice to do anything he could to help their unhappy victim so they could get on with the evening's maniacal scheme.

"The plan's cancelled."

When Roxanne heard this she lifted her eyes in surprise, but remained facing away from her visitors.

"Uh, it is?" responded Minion. Now this was unexpected, and_ highly _irregular.

"Yes. Why don't you take the hover bike back to the lair; I'll call you when I'm ready for you to come get me."

Roxanne's ears perked up at this and she turned just enough to look at him curiously out of the corner of her eye, but then turned away once again.

Minion stood staring at his ward, his big brown eyes betraying his puzzlement at the unusual command._ What the..._

"Wait a minute, are you sure you want me to just up and leave you like this? This is just so... well, it's so... "

With the second dramatic roll of his eyes at his henchman in less than ten minutes, Megamind turned to his friend and said, "Yes, yes, yes! I'm quite certain, now go. And stop worrying about it! Like I said, I'll call for you when I need you to pick me up."

After a final suspicious stare at the blue man, Minion sighed and with a nod he responded, "All right, you're the boss." Then glancing at Roxanne worriedly, he said, "Goodbye, Miss Ritchi. Hope you get to feeling better."

Roxanne turned briefly to give the fish a sidelong glance, nodded silently in acknowledgement, and then turned away once again. She was having a difficult time understanding why she wasn't telling Megamind to take his cape and his presentation and get the heck out, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it.

She was also confused as to the reason why he would want to stay to begin with. What did he care about her feelings? Villains were callous, and utterly without concern for their victims, right? At least that's what he told her on a regular basis, although she had often doubted that he was truly as villainous as he let on.

Megamind watched his fishy friend as he climbed up on the hover bike, muttering something to himself about secret plans and disappointment as he went, and zipped away. Then turning back to Roxanne, he crossed to the other side of the couch so she was facing him as he approached and sat gingerly down next to her, observing that she continued to refuse to look up at him even though he was right in front of her.

His concern deepened, and his black heart stirred at the sight of this sassy, confident woman struggling through some deep turmoil. This was not _his_ Roxanne; the Roxanne he knew faced the difficulties in life with a confident smile and a sarcastic comeback, and triumphantly made it through to banter another day. But apparently not this time; right now she appeared small and sad and broken.

"So what's wrong?" he asked quietly, leaning forward and looking at her downcast eyes intently. .

She glanced up at him through her long lashes, but instantly let her eyes drop again, and just for a moment he saw her chin tremble again.

"Nothing!" she answered, and though she attempted to snap at him forcefully, it was obvious that her effort was only half hearted.

"All right, first off, _don't_ think you can toss out the word "nothing" and convince me that there's really nothing wrong. The Roxanne Ritchi I kidnap twice a week could verbally shut me down in a second with a single scathing phrase without breaking a sweat. _That, _my dear, was the weakest excuse for a comeback I've ever heard you give."

"Second, whether you realize this or not, I know you. Something's wrong; no matter how many times you try to tell me it's nothing, I know the truth. I can see it written_ all _over you, Roxanne. Now, what's going on?"

"Even if there is something wrong, why should I tell you?" she responded defensively, finally looking up at him with her full attention.

Her question stumped him. Why should she tell him? He was the bad guy... not just any bad guy but the _one_ bad guy that had been singling her out and tormenting her for years. He couldn't just openly tell her that seeing her upset like this made his cold heart burn with concern for her; that the only thing he wanted to do was reach out and pull her close, to tell her... _No, stop it!_

In the end, all he could think to stammer out was, "Well, because I care, that's why."

The second those words fell from his mouth, he cringed. That answer sounded _immensely_ incriminating and he simply couldn't leave it open to her speculation as to _why_ he cared... what if she figured out how he felt about her? She was certainly smart enough to do so; he was surprised she hadn't figured it out already.

His incredible brain immediately began scrambling to think up anything that he could say to throw her off the trail, and he blurted out, "I mean, I can't have you getting emotional like this on a regular basis and messing up my plans, e-vil is set to a stringent _shed-yool_! Best to get it off your chest here and now so we can get on with things, right?"

She looked at him with creased brows, obviously unconvinced, and her eyes narrowed with doubt.

Realizing that she wasn't quite buying it, he dropped the act and simply said, "Listen, you can tell me. I give you my word that whatever you tell me is between us, it won't leave this room. I won't even breathe a word to Minion. I just... I've never seen you this upset before. You've been through _far_ more than a broken balcony railing and didn't seem phased in the least. And you see I'm ... well I'm just... "

He allowed his words to trail off, stopping just short of telling her that he was immensely worried about her, but he gazed at her with sincerity, his green eyes watching her intently.

Roxanne observed him as he spoke, searching for any indication that this was a trick of some kind but all she saw in those green eyes was genuine concern. Allowing herself to relax a little, she looked away and sighed, saying quietly, "I had a bad day."

Megamind was somewhat confused, all this for a bit of a bad day? Rather than express his confusion he responded, "Okay, I can see a bad day being somewhat upsetting... but… what exactly do you _mean_ by "a bad day"? What happened?"

His tone of voice was so sincere in his asking and his expression so attentive, her reservations began to melt away. She began to share her difficulties hesitantly, gauging his reactions and ready to clam up if he showed any sign of his old smugness or of not taking her seriously, but when she saw his absorption grow she became bolder and found herself opening up to him like she hadn't with anyone in a very long time.

He listened carefully to her tale, calmly nodding his oversized head with understanding and asking a stray question here or there to be sure he had a firm grip on what she had gone through. The only time he showed any sign of exaggerated emotion was when she relayed how her interview had been taken from her and her run-ins with Karen, but rather than showing smugness, his dark brows lowered over narrowed eyes and his chin jutted forward, his upper lip twitching angrily as he sightlessly stared at that same little knot on the floor and stewed.

Not that Roxanne saw his expression. As she spoke, her eyes were also once again busily studying every detail of that knot that seemed to be capturing so much attention that evening, and she missed it.

"And then, when I finally made it home and was ready to just sit down..._ by myself_... and forget about it all, _someone_ decides to just pop in and suck me into his plans for the evening, and then breaks my balcony. Couldn't have come up with a better topper for an already crappy day if I sat around for hours planning it myself, huh?"

Megamind cringed slightly at her accusation, but rather than pursuing the opportunity to give him a good dressing down, she just smiled a little and said, "Don't worry about it, I'll take care of it... don't I always?"

Even though she'd had the opportunity to get it all off her chest and even smiled at him despite his part in ruining her day, it was painfully obvious that there was still sadness beneath that smile. He could see it in the way her brows continued to crease and her eyes held on to a downcast appearance even when the corners of her mouth turned up at him.

She had a bad day for sure... a _hell_ of a bad day, and he was partially to blame for that, but she was too strong and optimistic to let things like this get her down in and of themselves. He had always seen her rise above whatever life had thrown at her. There must be something else...

"Roxanne, what is it that's really bothering you? Is it... " he paused, not even wanting to allow the thought to form in his mind, "Metro Man? Are you two having an... "

"No!" she snapped and rolled her eyes disgustedly. _Why does everyone want to pair me up with him? _"This has _nothing_ to do with him!"

Megamind shut down that line of thinking in an instant, but couldn't help but notice the odd way that her reaction to his guess seemed to be one of repulsion at the mention of her brawny, empty-headed boyfriend rather than coming across as defending his honor.

Brushing his curiosity aside, he gently asked again, "Then what?"

Looking up into his green eyes, she saw something she hadn't had the opportunity to see before amidst all his raving about evil, and mayhem, and the destruction of his rival... genuine compassion. She had a fleeting thought that what she was seeing right now, for the first time ever, was the _real_ Megamind.

"Well, today is... it's... my mom's birthday... "

He sat silently looking at her for a moment, puzzled. Why on earth would_ that _bother her so much? And then he remembered…

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**No notes other than to say thank you for reading, and just go ahead and move right on to the next chapter for the conclusion of the story…**


	2. Chapter 2

It had been about two years now since Mrs. Ritchi passed away. Roxanne had taken it terribly hard, and he backed off for a period of several months to allow her to work through it all. He had wanted to go to her, to be there to comfort her, but why would she want _him_ when she had her _hero_ to turn to in her distress? Even though it had taken all of his willpower to stay away, he did just that, giving her as much space as she needed to work through her grief so she could feel strong again.

They looked at each other for a moment, and as he watched he saw her eyes cloud and glisten with unshed tears. She blinked and looked away, not wanting to look weak in front of her long time captor, but just as she did he caught a glimpse of her soft, full lower lip beginning to quiver.

Megamind had no idea what to do. He grew up in a_ prison _for Christ's sake! Prisons were a great place for a young boy of tender years to learn how to pick a lock or steal a car... hell, they were a _fantastic_ place to learn how to kick ass in a fight, a skill he had employed often in his thirty-plus years; but they most certainly were _not_ the best places to learn how to be tender, or comforting, or empathetic.

But as he sat there watching her agonize over how much she missed her mother and still trying so hard to be strong in front of him, the self-proclaimed dark, dingy recesses of his cold, black heart were lit with compassion.

He wanted to reach out to her, to comfort her. Of course, the instant he tried she would probably tell him to get lost... who the heck would want him to even touch them, let alone put an arm around them and offer to be a shoulder to cry on, but she needed _someone_. He supposed he could fit the bill in a pinch.

Haltingly, he reached out to her as she sat miserably looking away from him, trying to avoid eye contact at all costs, and carefully laid a hand on her shoulder. He gently began to smooth his hand over her back, hoping that even though he had no idea what he was doing, he would be able to soothe her at least a little in his awkward attempt.

Feeling his hand on her, she snapped her head around to look at him in surprise. The way those amazing green eyes looked at her so tenderly crumbled every inhibition, and she threw herself in his arms, hugging him tightly and nestling in as closely as she could. She didn't care that he was the bad guy, or that he was an alien or blue or any of the other stupid arguments that the people of the city they both called home used against him; he was kind enough to be there for her right then, when she needed someone most. That's the _only_ thing that mattered.

After a moment of mild shock that she responded so positively to his attentions rather than kicking him out, he relaxed and wrapped his arms around her, letting her melt into him as she buried her face into his chest. Suddenly, he didn't feel awkward at all; he knew just what to do and reveled in the feeling of her closeness as he smoothed his hand over her hair and pressed his lips to the top of her head.

He understood her pain; every year when the rest of the city was excitedly preparing for the holidays and spending time with family and friends, he felt a deep, empty ache in his heart at the memory of losing his family and his world. From time to time he would open up to Minion about his longing for the family he never really knew, and his little friend always managed somehow to know just what to say to ease his boss' mind. What would he do without that fantastic fish?

As Roxanne reached a hand up to wipe away a stray tear, he was glad to be able to be there with her at that moment, and a tingle of affection for his favorite captive washed over him. It was amazing to him that underneath all of their blaring differences, they really weren't so very different at all.

He held her that way for a while, listening to her sniffle quietly against him and allowing himself to imagine what it would be like if she was his to hold like this all the time, his to comfort and protect. As he thought about it, he realized that he would be willing to do just about anything to make that happen if he thought there was even the ghost of a chance that he could be with her.

After spending several blissful moments wrapped up in his fantasy, he heard her sniff again as she reached up a second time to wipe away the tears._ I'm just not enough, she doesn't really want me here, who am I kidding? _

"Roxanne, I'm sorry it has to be me here with you... do you want to call someone to come sit with you? A friend?"

Without looking up, she answered into his chest, "Why would you be sorry?" After another moment she questioned, "I thought you said villains didn't say they were sorry."

Megamind grinned into her hair and bit back a chuckle. Even in this state her mind was still busily at work trying to figure him out. She was too just smart.

"Oh well, you know. It just kind of slipped out," he answered quickly. Then more seriously, he continued, "I mean, I just figured you were wishing you had someone else with you right now."

She pulled away a little to look at him and answered with a sniff, "No, I'm _glad_ you're here with me, Megamind. Besides, I don't have anyone to call."

"Well what about Metro Man? You've got him... "

"No... I really don't have anyone." She answered in a matter-of-fact tone. She didn't want to explain to him at the moment that she and Metro Man had never been together, and never would be. They were somewhat close, but he was always so flakey and self-absorbed, and didn't make a good confidant. There was no way she could be in a relationship with someone like that.

As for other friends; she got along beautifully with most of her co-workers and had other acquaintances outside of work as well, but there was no one that she felt she could really talk to about deep subjects like this. For years her social life had pretty much consisted of spending time with her blue captor and his henchman, tied to a chair and dangled in front of Metro City's resident hero as bait. Despite the rather dysfunctional nature of the relationship, she had to reluctantly admit to herself that they were really the closest friends she had.

_Don't have anyone? _That was _not_ the answer he expected, and little red flags began to go up in his incredible mind. That one phrase was enough to give him hours of fodder to ponder over, and he couldn't decide if the answers he might find would possibly give him hope, or make him worry himself sick for her.

But then another thought occurred to him; if he understood her correctly, for some reason she felt comfortable confiding in him something that she couldn't share with anyone else, not even Metro Man. From somewhere deep within him a tiny glimmer of excitement began to surface._ What if... _

No. It was crazy to even allow those thoughts to form in his mind. Sentimentality like that was asking for trouble.

Instead of continuing to dwell on her odd response, he looked deeply into her beautiful blue eyes and said, "Well, this may not be worth much, but you have me. You'll always have me."

Roxanne's eyes grew wide at his proclamation that he would always be there for her. For some reason, his promise of support meant more to her than the same offer would have meant from anyone else she knew, including Wayne. A warm tingle began to move through her chest knowing that Metro City's notorious villain was in her corner and would always be there for her.

When she began to recover from her shock at his promise, and her own reaction to that promise, her face softened into a gentle smile and she said, "Megamind, I can't even begin to tell you how much that means to me. Honestly, it means _so_ much."

Her blue visitor found himself momentarily speechless at her reply. His brows raised in surprise and the corner of his lip turned up in a half smile as he rolled her words around in his mind.

Such a favorable response from anyone, but _especially_ from his precious Roxanne Ritchi seemed almost unimaginable to him. How could anyone but Minion ever value an offer of devotion like that coming from him?

After several seconds of trying unsuccessfully to process her answer, he blurted out incredulously, "It... it _does_?"

"Yeah, it does." she said, and her smile grew even sweeter; a true smile this time that settled across her entire face, and shone radiantly in her beautiful blue eyes.

She watched him sit in shocked silence, thinking, with a silly smile plastered to his expressive lips. She couldn't get over how cute he looked, and wished he really could understand how deeply it touched her that he had given her his promise to be there for her whenever she needed him.

All his constant bluster about being such an _evil_ villain was sounding less and less likely all the time as she caught these tell-tale glimpses of the true Megamind that he kept hidden carefully away. Underneath it all, she could see more good in him in one little finger than most people had in their whole body, and she hoped that someday he might be able to understand that the way she did... especially when she allowed her mind to wander toward the hopeful possibilities that a change like that in him could open up between them.

Watching her personal villain as those thoughts ran through her mind made her heart swell with affection for him and appreciation for the way he stood by her in her time of need. Without thinking any further about what she was doing, she slid close to him and wrapped her arms around him again, settling in as closely as she could against him.

"Thank you for staying with me, Megamind. I think I'm feeling better now."

Wow. He couldn't _believe_ how good it felt knowing that he had been able to see her through such a deep personal struggle. He was amazed that out of all the people in the city, this beautiful, talented woman had trusted him with something so close to her heavy heart, and he had been able to put a smile on her face again.

As much as he hated the thought of ending this moment with her and going back to the normal routine, he began to feel that it might just be time for him to call for Minion. After all, she seemed alright now, his purpose there seemed to be fulfilled… she would probably want him to get going as soon as possible.

Holding on to her and soaking up her closeness while he still could, he reluctantly asked, "So do you think you're going to be okay now?"

"I think so. But wait… you're not leaving yet are you?" she asked, lifting her head so she could look at him with a tiny frown.

"Well, I mean, I thought that since you were feeling better now it was just time for me to be moving along…"

"I'm not feeling _that_ much better, I still want you to stay for a while… if you don't mind, that is. Will you? I just don't want to be alone right now."

Megamind smiled and said, "Sure, I can do that. As long as you need me, I'll be here."

Roxanne's frown immediately changed into a relieved smile, and she snuggled back in to him, resting her head once again on his chest as he tightened his hold on her and ran his fingertips tenderly through the ends of her hair.

They sat like that in contented silence, not feeling the need to say a word, and allowing themselves the unheard of opportunity to enjoy each other's company without the need to play the villain/ victim rolls they had always been cast in. It was so _nice_ to just be with each other with no expectations, no wicked plans or evil contraptions, no banter or interruptions from the other participants in their game. Just the two of them admitting for once their friendship, and allowing their fondness for one another to show.

It didn't seem like very long before Megamind suddenly realized that Roxanne had grown very still and her soft breaths had become slow and even. Carefully shifting his position so as not to disturb her, just in case, he peeked at her to confirm his suspicions… yes indeed, she was fast asleep.

He watched her in awe as she lay against him, sleeping soundly and looking so peaceful, so unbelievably lovely. He could scarcely believe that she had trusted him enough to allow herself to fall asleep in his arms. Now _this_ was something he'd never forget.

As much as he wished he could stay right there with her just as he was right now, he knew it was time to call for Minion to pick him up. Staying with her all night just wouldn't be right… not that he had a _conscience_, mind you… _true_ villains don't have a conscience. He simply couldn't run the risk of an awkward situation between them at her next kidnapping; that presented the possibility of further delaying his maniacal plans. _After all, e-vil waits for no-one, and after tonight, I'm already behind shed-yool!_

Carefully lifting his arms from the pretty reporter so as not to wake her, he touched his holo-watch and whispered, "Minion, I'm ready. Come on over."

Then looking down at her as she rested peacefully, he added, "But be sure to put the bike in stealth mode again, we don't want to… uh, draw attention to ourselves. After all, it's late and the whole place is sleeping; we wouldn't want to wake anyone."

"Well it's about time, Sir! Do you have any idea how late it is? And why would _we_ care if we wake anyone? We're the bad guys, right? I mean, that's what we do! It's practically _expected_ of us! "

"Ugh, Minion… enough with the maternal lectures! Just get over here and pick me up! Pronto!"

Quickly ending his communiqué with his fishy henchman with a huff and a roll of his eyes, he looked down again at Roxanne as she stirred in her sleep, nestling in to him a bit closer than she was before and breathing in deeply. With an affectionate smile, he regretfully slipped his arms under her and gingerly slid by as he eased her softly back down on the couch.

As he helped her onto the soft cushions, she stretched and opened her eyes a little, and looking blearily up at him she mumbled, "Megs, why can't you be good? I wish… "

"What? What did you say? You wish what, Roxanne?" he asked, curiosity mingling with a tingling feeling of hope that he could feel rising in his chest, but his questions were met with the sound of her even breathing as she slipped deeply back into sleep.

A moment later, a knock at the balcony door pulled the blue villain from his thoughts and signaled that his ride had arrived. _Wow, Minion certainly didn't waste any time in getting here! He must have been somewhere nearby, just chomping at the bit for me to call… what a worry-fish! _

Turning back to Roxanne, he picked up the blanket she had folded at the other end of the couch and draped it over her, then with a final glance at her as she slept, he crossed the room and opened the door quietly just as his friend began a second round of impatient knocking.

Only when it was closed securely behind him did he turn to his scaly friend and say, "I'm here, for e-vil heaven's sake! Keep your fins on… you know, you worry _far_ too much!"

"Sir, it's my job to worry; I'm supposed to look after you!"

"Yes, I know that. But really, how much trouble could I possibly get into at Miss Ritchi's apartment?"

Minion's mind instantaneously filled with _hundreds _of different ways that his boss could get himself into trouble at their lovely victim's apartment, especially when he thought of the way he had noticed them sneakily stealing looks at one another from time to time. There were in fact _so_ many ways his blue ward could get into trouble, his little mind was suddenly a swirl of scenarios, and he found himself speechless as he tried to decide which ones to list first.

"Well… "

"Never mind, don't answer that." Megamind said dryly with a longsuffering expression when he saw the fish's wheels turning, but an instant later his face began to take on that familiar crafty look he assumed when he began to formulate a new and cunning plan. "Now Minion, we have work to do! First, about this balcony… "

* * *

Roxanne awoke early the next morning feeling slightly confused as to why she was sleeping on the couch rather than in her bed, and why in the world was she still wearing her work skirt instead of her pajamas. Sleeping in her clothes, especially _these_ clothes, was incredibly uncomfortable and would typically be the _last_ thing she would choose to do.

She sat up and stretched, rubbing her eyes and yawning as she tried to focus her sleepy brain on the reason why she would do something so unusual. Oh, that's right... Megamind. Yesterday had been her mother's birthday. She had been upset, and he had stayed with her until she… wait, where was he? Turning quickly to give her great-room a good once over and seeing no sign of her blue visitor, she realized he must have gone. She must have been sound asleep when he left because she had no memory of him leaving, and she wondered how long he had stayed.

As she pondered the events of the previous evening, the unbelievable way he sat with her, and listened to her, and even put his arm around her gently, holding her when she began to feel a little teary eyed, she smiled. The way he had behaved last night was so different from the extravagant theatrics of his usual demeanor, but for some reason she wasn't all that surprised. The softer side of him she had been able to catch a glimpse of last night seemed to fit him, seemed to be more "him" than anything she had ever seen. As much as she hated to admit it to herself, she liked that side of him… she liked it _a lot_.

Shaking her head at herself when she realized where her line of thought was taking her, she moved along to get ready and begin her day.

This morning was far different than the previous day had been. Waking early, she had more than enough time to prepare for her day, and once at work, things went smoothly. Everything seemed to fall into place for her as the hours went on, and Roxanne couldn't help but think that the way things were going today _almost_ made up for the disaster she had suffered through the day before.

What made things even better was the fact that the feeling of sadness that had been weighing her down all week long had been lifted from her shoulders thanks to Megamind and the way he stayed to listen to her, offering her a shoulder to cry on when she needed it most. His kindness toward her had been amazing, and despite herself, she continuously found a warm flutter welling up in her chest throughout the day whenever her thoughts strayed to what he had done for her.

Oddly enough, Karen Crosby seemed to be having a _hell_ of a day. The snarky rival reporter arrived for work several hours late due to a strange and random act of vandalism that had surprisingly affected her car _alone_ out of the dozens of cars parked in her apartment's garage. All four of her wheels had been completely removed from their hubs and then placed inside the car with the doors neatly shut behind them; one in the driver's seat, one in the passenger's, and the two rear wheels situated in the back seat, all looking as though they were ready and waiting to go for a spin in a car that lay flat on the garage floor, resting on its undercarriage.

When the vandalism had been reported and her wheels finally reattached, the irate reporter arrived at work to find that the important interview with the mayor that she had scheduled for early that morning had been taken from her and given to Roxanne at the suggestion of a mysterious employee who phoned in from the mayor's office right before his arrival.

Although somewhat surprised to find out about the call placed by the unknown employee, the mayor didn't mind the results of the call in the least; he had always liked Roxanne and preferred her as an interviewer anyway.

When she finally arrived back home that evening after the best day she'd had at work in a long time, Roxanne's glance caught the balcony door, and her spirits fell a little. Great, now she would have to make that call to the building's superintendent to let him know about the damage, and arrange to have it repaired.

She was _not_ looking forward to making that call; the crotchety old gentleman was known for being cranky and immensely stubborn, and took his job, and the building he was entrusted to oversee far too seriously. Any small amount of damage reported to him was treated like a major incident… what was he going to do when he saw the piles of broken brick and rubble scattered across her balcony floor?

Pulling out her phone and preparing to dial, she walked to the door for another hesitant glance so she could give an accurate description of the mess when the round of twenty questions began. But rather than seeing crumbled mortar and shattered masonry, she saw… nothing.

Closing her phone in shock, she walked toward the door and opened it, stepping outside with wide eyes and looking at the flawless rail, nary a crack or missing brick in sight. Sitting atop the structure in the very spot that had been ruined the last time she looked at it, she saw an envelope in a telltale shade of blue.

She smiled, and her heart pounded with a combination of excitement and nervousness when she picked up the envelope, examining the familiar M symbol embossed on the back and her name written neatly on the front. _Oh my God, I can't believe this._

Pulling out the stationary inside, she began to read the note he had left, written in all his usual bravado…

_My Dear Miss Ritchi,_

_As I have already explained, a true villain never apologizes, but any villain worth his salt is not above rectifying his mistakes. I have taken it upon myself to recruit several of my brainbots to repair the damage done to your balcony during last night's failed kidnapping. _

_Of course, the occasional collateral damage is sometimes necessary to the advancement of my empire, but because no evil plan actually took place, your balcony was needlessly broken… so I've decided to call a do-over. We'll start fresh next time, although I'm quite certain there won't be a need to damage your masonry again; I guarantee Minion will be much more careful from here on out._

_In the mean time, I hope you're feeling much more chipper today, and that you'll remember the promise I made you… I meant every word. Behind you, you'll find a little something, just a small gift I've left as a token of how deeply heartfelt that promise is._

Roxanne instantly stopped reading and swung around, scanning every inch of the balcony floor, railing, and her patio chairs, looking for the "gift" he said had left for her, but found nothing. _Hmmmm… _

Turning back to the note with confusion and mild disappointment, she continued…

_Just in case you may be feeling up for a little adventure, I still have a perfectly good plan just waiting for my favorite victim. If you're ready, simply take your gift and place it on the railing where you found this note as a signal, and I will personally be along to whisk you away for that journey into terror you unfortunately missed out on last night._

_But no pressure, take all the time you need… it means the world to me that you are feeling better, and ready to face the peril that awaits you before we continue on with any more evil plans._

_Sincerely from the deepest place in my black heart,_

_Megamind_

When Roxanne finished reading, her hands dropped to her sides and she looked up, staring blankly at the repaired railing. She was so utterly shocked, she couldn't even seem to find the words to string a complete thought together in her head. As she stood there in awe at this unbelievable gesture from her captor, a smile crept across her face. Maybe she was right… maybe Megamind wasn't so bad after all?

Her train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a soft, muffled thud that seemed to come from directly behind her. Turning toward the curious sound, she found a single yellow rose lying on the ground at her feet. _This must be the gift he was talking about! Wait, it wasn't here before… how did it get here?_

Just at that instant, she heard from somewhere above her a familiar bowging sound. Looking up, she saw a spike embellished brainbot hovering there, regarding her with its flexible eyestalk as its long robotic arms trailed lazily below it. Bobbing in the air and observing her curiously for another moment, her abductor's unusual pet let out another bowg, and then zipped away.

Roxanne chuckled as she watched the odd little creature disappear into the distance, and then bent to pick up the perfect, yellow rosebud that had been dropped at her feet.

She straightened, studying the lovely flower, and considered the meaning behind the particular color he had chosen… yellow for friendship. Despite his infamous reputation for evil and mayhem, he had certainly proven to her last night that he was her friend, maybe the very best one she had.

Shifting her eyes from the delicate rose she held in her hand to the rail of her balcony, once again made perfect thanks to the thoughtfulness of the one man most feared by every citizen of Metro City, everyone but her, she chuckled.

"Oh… why not?" she said aloud with a shrug to no one in particular, and then lay the rose gently on the rail.

With an eager smile, she leaned over the banister to take a good, long, expectant look at the cityscape that surrounded her, scanning the skyline for a familiar blue form speeding toward her. No one yet… all she could see was the surrounding buildings, their windows glinting brightly in the sunset. Knowing it wouldn't be long now, she quickly cast a final glance back at her gift as it lay on the brick, its leaves fluttering in the breeze, and then excitedly turned to go inside, leaving the door open just a crack behind her.

_I'd better hurry up and get ready, who knows when he might show up!_

* * *

**Now for a sad note, our family lost a very dear loved one within the past year, and her birthday was just last month. Thinking about that was the inspiration for this story. I hope you'll review and tell me what you think, but be gentle… I'm a little bit fragile where this one is concerned.**

**A great big thank you to Hunger4Righteousness for being my beta this time around, and for being such a wonderful friend… Love you dear! **

**My heartfelt appreciation goes out to everyone that read this little story. I hope that you enjoyed it, and some of you may even be able to relate to it a little bit. Those of you who can, my heart goes out to you… and I hope you know that you're not alone. I, for one, am right there with you. ((hugs!))**


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